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FALL, 2001: Volume 6, Issue 3 Kwisomo
Workshop Report by Adrien Niyongabo
On Carolyn�s and my trip to Mutaho and Kwisumo, we attended the Sunday,�August
5, service at Mubuga Friends Church. This church has been given�birth
by the Cagura Friends Church. Now it is growing. In fact, it has�given
birth to two other churches: Ngozi and Rwamiko. More than 500�people
were gathering. Some of them had to stand outside because of lack�of
space. For that reason Mubuga Church members want to build a new and�big
church. May God help them!
Carolyn had the pleasure to preach that day. Her sermon was based on�peace
building. With holy scriptures and some Quaker testimonies from all�over
the world, she came to say that God created people not for fighting�or
killing each other, but for living in peace. To emphasize what she�said,
I told the church members that in our daily life, conflicts are�unavoidable
and it is up on to us to surmount them. How? With love, that�love which
has been given by Jesus Christ to us. For that, we will not�hurt others.
We left that church with a hope to meet again.
Our last workshop was the Kwisumo one. After a long way, from Ngozi
to�Ruyigi, we finally arrived there on Monday, August 6, 2001, after
a stop�at Gitega where we slept Sunday night. Tuesday morning we went
to Kwisumo�which is 12 Km from Ruyigi town. We were at Kwisumo Friends
Station�around 9:00 A.M. Some could have said that it is a forgotten
land, but�let us say an abandoned one. Only the Friends Station�s buildings
and�some few houses around can tell you that Kwisumo was a lovely place�before
the crises. Many other houses have been completely destroyed and�people
had to flee to Tanzania or to other places. But when you look�around
and see the hills covered with trees and the wind making them�dance,
you will not say that it is a forgotten land. More than that, on�our
way, we met people. Some were going to draw water, others with hoes�on
their shoulders going to work in their fields. Just to say that there�is
life at Kwisumo.
We met people at the station. They were well-dressed waiting for the�workshop to start. The workshop started at 10:00. I welcomed the�participants after two Kirundi religious songs. As usually, after the�self-presentation for each participant, I went on with the BTHRC history,�emphasizing the peace building tradition of Quakers.�Afterwards Carolyn presented, �What Is Trauma?� As in previous workshops,�she defined trauma as an event which destroys your worldview. She talked�about feelings that occurred after traumatic events and the four forms�(physical, cognitive, emotional and behavioral) under which trauma can�affect someone. When Carolyn was talking, some of the participants were�drying tears with their hands and in others� faces you could read how�painful it was. I thought that telling stories could have been better�than the kind of workshop we were doing that time. And when I asked how�many would like to share their stories, many hands were lifted up. Just�three of them had the opportunity to share. To others, we said that we�would have time for that in the future. From the open discussion,�participants suggested to have a site at Kwisumo and recommended us to�bring our trauma teachings beyond the Friends Churches because, they�said, it is very helpful. We finished our workshop with a nice lunch. Tea�was also served; it is Burundi Friends tradition. Twenty-four�participants were in our workshop. On our way back to Bujumbura, we were pleased with the work done and�praising the Lord for having kept us safe during that trip. That was the�first time we spent all week up-country doing workshops. As one who have been in all the workshops we have done, I can say that we�need serious interventions, from whoever, to deal with the TRAUMA that�has occurred in BURUNDI. For sure, people (Burundians) are in need of a�breathing space. See this issue Update On The African Great Lakes Initiative and earlier issues of PTN for more. TOP
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